Nowadays, in most families, both parents aren’t usually still together or one parent isn’t involved. Do you think this affects your child’s life? Teens are affected by not having their parents involved or around in their lives. With just one parent in the house teenagers are left to themselves for many hours. Parents assume their sons or daughters can handle this and are responsible with being left alone. Parents are too trustworthy and also don’t expect that their son or daughter is having sex. Teens become bored with all of their free time. As well, they don’t have their parents attention- so they seek it out in others which most likely leads to sexual intercourse. Parents are so busy trying to provide for the family they just don’t have the time to spend with their teenagers. Other important reasons why teenagers have sexual intercourse is they lack good role models and morals, They are also under a lot of peer pressure to have sex (they think “everyone” is doing it), they are misinformed about sex and last but not least- even if the former reasons are not lacking in a teens life, they simply see and hear about sex on TV and music which feeds and and drives teens ever growing desires to experience sex themselves in some way or another.
Parents expect a lot from their teens-they have to balance school, family, friends, if they have a boyfriend/girlfriend and extra-curricular activities. In many ways, they are expected to grow up fast and to handle pressures only meant for adults. This again leads to teens taking on more than they can handle which includes a sexual relationship with another. It is even accepted now to have sex without having a relationship!
Peer pressure- a lot of teenagers friends are sexually active and their friends make them feel like they need to have sex too and to be “just like them.” TV and music broadcast sexual activity, they encourage a sexual lifestyle and make it seem like it’s okay to be sexual. Teens don’t always know how to relate to one another without acting sexual towards one another. This leads to awkward situations when left alone where they feel like sex is what is to be expected.
Since most teens don’t have both parents consistently in their life, they don't have good role models. Since they don't have role models, they have no one to look up to in their life. If they consider a celebrity a role model, they are most likely in the racy videos they watch. Teens truly admire and look up to music and TV stars to the point that they want to be just like them. It just seems right to want to be like the people admired on TV and in music.
Overall, teenagers have it hard when it comes to not having sex. Teens still need their parents in their lives to meet their needs so that they don’t seek the attention they feel they are not getting. By having positive role models of other young adults that are happy and successful, teens learn that they too can have fun and close friendships without having sex. Lastly, teens need to be strong and realistic that sex on TV and in music is there because those industries believe that is what sells and that that is what people want to see and hear. Ultimately, teens that have strong family values and ties which includes having both parents involved in their lives, have an easier time avoiding sexual intercourse because they have good self esteem and they don’t need to seek attention outside of their normal friendships and relationships.